It's official: Saints to play Chargers in London

PHOENIX -- Friday's announcement that the Saints will "host" a regular-season game in London's Wembley Stadium against the San Diego Chargers on Oct. 26 was met with overwhelming enthusiasm by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Saints owner Tom Benson and representatives from New Orleans and the state, among others.
Granted, the Saints will be sacrificing one of their eight home games in the Superdome -- to the chagrin of fans. And the competitive merits of a midseason journey across the globe are questionable, at best. The game is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. in London, noon in New Orleans.
But many suggested that the publicity and economic opportunities of such a global event are worth the sacrifice for both the team and the city.
"When I was initially called, most people were expecting us to say, 'Gosh, we hate to lose a home game,'¤" said Stephen Perry, the president and CEO of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, who was on hand for Friday's announcement in Phoenix. "As a fan, you miss having the home game. But from a business perspective, this could be a very powerful move for both New Orleans and the state because it gives us an unprecedented opportunity to craft and illustrate a new brand for New Orleans in our single biggest foreign market.
"This actually in pure economic impact is going to be worth more to the city of New Orleans than playing the game at home, because of what we're going to generate."
Perry said more tourists come to New Orleans from the United Kingdom than from any other foreign market, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau already has an office in London, which will be expanded.
He said in addition to all of the media exposure the Saints and New Orleans will receive in London, there also will be a series of events organized to enhance relationships between New Orleans' businesses and international partners.
"In effect, it will be an organized trade mission," said Doug Thornton, a regional vice president for SMG, the company that manages the Superdome.
Fans who purchase season tickets will be charged for nine home games (seven regular season and two preseason). The Saints also plan to offer tickets to the London game in certain packages. The team has not announced its ticket prices for the 2008 season.
The Saints will be reimbursed for their travel expenses, as well as the lost revenue generated from ticket sales, concessions and parking. They won't, however, receive additional financial compensation.
"It's basically a break-even proposition," said Saints Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Dennis Lauscha.
Benson and other Saints executives said there will be an opportunity for the Saints to market themselves to a much broader audience. Benson said the Saints did not necessarily "volunteer" for the assignment, but when the league approached them, they accepted.
"I think it's a great thing for our fans. And hopefully a lot of them will go," Benson said. "But when you talk about how many people come to New Orleans from that part of the world, I mean, jeezum, what a showcase we're going to have."
Goodell characterized the game as a winning proposition for the NFL, the UK and the people of both cities.
"This is a great opportunity to go on an international platform and promote the great things happening in their city," Goodell said during his annual state-of-the-NFL address on Friday. "I think that will be a tremendous opportunity."
The league announced a commitment to play a regular-season game in London in each of the next three seasons. The NFL played its first regular-season game outside of North America on Oct. 28, when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins 13-10 in Wembley Stadium.
It certainly won't be easy for the Saints to navigate such a long road trip. The league will help out by assuring them of a home game the week before and a bye the week after.
The Chargers, meanwhile, have asked the league to schedule them on an East Coast road trip the week before the London game, so they can travel directly from that city to Europe.
"We're going to do the best we can," Saints Coach Sean Payton said. "We'll go out there early, and we'll research the best way to handle it. But we're excited. It will be a good opportunity."
Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said the team probably will travel to London on the Monday before the game. Loomis said that the Giants and Dolphins traveled on Thursday, but their feedback was that they wished they had more time to adjust.
"We don't have all the logistics. This is all relatively new for us," said Loomis, who said he wasn't sure if the game would be considered as a positive or a negative in strictly football terms. "I don't know the answer to that. Obviously you hate to lose a home game, and you know we have great fans in the Superdome and a loud venue. So I don't know that we're looking for an advantage. We're just hoping not to be disadvantaged."
The game will be a compelling matchup between Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his former team. Both Brees and Chargers star linebacker Shawne Merriman spoke Friday to begin promoting the game.
"I'll get a chance to line up against a former teammate of mine," Merriman said, "and hopefully give him a special UK lights-out dance." 
Mike Triplett can be reached at mtriplett@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3405.